Ohio Food
Policy Summit
May 27, 2014
Cultivate a safe, healthy, accessible food
supply and build Michigan’s economy
Michigan Food Policy Council was created by
Executive Order in June 2005 to recommend
programs and policies to enhance economic
growth through the state’s diverse agriculture
industry, while cultivating a safe, healthy and
available food supply for all Michigan residents.
History of the
Michigan Food Policy Council
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Created by executive order in 2005
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24 members appointed by Governor
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Charged to make policy and program
recommendations
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In 2011 adopted the Michigan Good Food Charter as
goals and focus
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Task Forces were created based on four of the goals
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Also focused on local food policy council development
MFPC Successful contributions
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Michigan Good Food Charter
Growth of Farmers Markets
Farmers markets accepting SNAP and EBT
Staggered issuance of SNAP benefits to improve
access
Promoting Michigan agriculture regional food
systems
Food Hub network partnership
Farm to school and farm to institution
Healthy Food Financing Initiative
Communicating/promoting interests of very small
farms
2011 MFPC Adopted the Michigan
Good Food Charter as Goals and Focus
MGFC Goals by 2020
1. Michigan institutions will source 20 percent of their food
products from Michigan growers, producers and
processors.
2. Michigan farmers will profitably supply 20 percent of all
Michigan institutional, retailer and consumer food
purchases and be able to pay fair wages to their workers.
3. Michigan will generate new agri-food businesses at a
rate that enables 20 percent of food purchased in
Michigan to come from Michigan.
2011 MFPC Adopted the Michigan Good Food Charter
as Goals and Focus
MGFC Goals by 2020
4. Eighty percent of Michigan residents (twice the
current level) will have easy access to affordable,
fresh, healthy food, 20 percent of which is from
Michigan sources.
5. Michigan Nutrition Standards will be met by 100
percent of school meals and 75 percent of schools
selling food outside school meal programs.
6. Michigan schools will incorporate food and
agriculture into the pre-K through 12th grade
curriculum for all Michigan students and youth will
have access to food and agriculture
entrepreneurial opportunities.
GROWTH OF MICHIGAN FARMERS MARKETS 2006-2013
Slide provided by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). Number of Markets as reported in the National Farmers Market Directory by USDA AMS. Number of
Authorized Markets as reported by USDA FNS. vided by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). Number of Markets as reported in the National Farmers
Market Directory by USDA AMS. Number of Authorized Markets as reported by USDA FNS
Growth of SNAP Acceptance in Michigan
Opportunity to Increase Access
Information provided by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). www.mifma.org
Farmers markets
provide affordable
and easy access to
fruits and vegetables
in many underserved
communities.
Farmers markets
with adequate
organizational
capacity are better
able to accept and
leverage SNAP and
Double Up Food
Bucks .
In 2012, SNAP (formally the
food stamp program)
recipients spent $1.5 million at
Michigan farmers markets,
making Michigan the leader in
SNAP sales at markets in the
Midwest
Farmers Markets Authorized to
Accept SNAP in Midwest 2012
Slide provided by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). Number of Markets as reported in the National Farmers Market Directory by USDA AMS. Number
of Authorized Markets as reported by USDA FNS. vided by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA). Number of Markets as reported in the National Farmers
Market Directory by USDA AMS. Number of Authorized Markets as reported by USDA FNS.
Michigan Food Hub Network
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Food hubs are centrally located facilities with a
business management structure facilitating the
aggregation, storage, processing, distribution,
and/or marketing of locally/regionally food
products (USDA-AMS working definition).
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According to the 2013 National Food Hub Survey
by Michigan State University CRFS and the Wallace
Center at Winrock International, 96% of food hubs
indicated that demand for their products and
services was growing, consistent with the
increasing interest in local food across the nation.
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More than half of the food hubs surveyed began
operating in the past five years.
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Farm to School applies to a variety of initiatives in
Michigan, including efforts to offer local foods in
school cafeterias, school garden programs,
fundraisers that take advantage of local products,
farmer visits to school classrooms and cafeterias, and
field trips to nearby farms.
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According to the USDA Farm to School Census,
Michigan school districts that bought local products in
the 2011-2012 school year spent an estimated
$34,603,982 on school food, with $4,404,768 of that
directed locally. 60% of these districts say they will
buy more local foods in the future.
FARM TO INSTITUTION
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Farm to Institution is a more encompassing
term, in which institutions including schools,
universities, early childcare programs, and
hospitals connect with area farmers, food
producers and vendors to provide local food
to the institutions.
A Michigan Farm to Institution Network is
emerging and will launch in 2014.
MFPC Recommendations Released
October 2013
MFPC Recommendations included
1. Build capacity of Michigan’s farmer market sector to increase
access to healthy food.
2. Help small-scale farms achieve food safety certification to
increase their sales to retail food industry, institutional buyers and
consumers.
3. Support a state Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) to
provide access to financial capital for job creation in the local
food system (good food access).
4. The institutional food purchasing task force recommendation
was deferred knowing that MSU is starting a farm to institution
network.
The Michigan Good Food Fund
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Recent announcement by the U.S. Department of
Treasury’s CDFI Fund
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A total of $172 million in CDFI Fund awards to 191
organizations
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NCB awarded $3 million for Michigan investments
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The start of Michigan's own initiative to support investment
in food businesses – “The Michigan Good Food Fund”
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AHA Michigan chapter has applied for a grant to do
some policy work regarding around the obesity issue in
Michigan
Communicating and Promoting Interests of Very
Small Farms
There is a need for very small farms to meet food safety
standards that buyers require. Existing Good Agricultural
Practices (G.A.P.) standards and certification are often
difficult for very small farms to attain because of their size,
capacity and diversity of products.
Suggested Solution is to create a program that
allows very small farms to meet food safety
standards to allow market access.
MFPC Transitions to the
Interdepartmental Collaboration
Committee (ICC)
Goal: Transition Michigan Food Policy Council to a
structure that is sustainable and has the greatest
opportunity to improve state agency and stakeholder
food policy coordination
THANK YOU
QUESTIONS